ASK (Oct 19)

So I say to you, "Ask and it will be given unto you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened unto you."
                                             Luke 11:9 NIV

To ask, to seek, to knock: all involve an action; to look for an answer to a question, to look for something, or to get something through a door. All may stem from a need to find something that was lost.

Humanity lost harmony with God in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Before they ate from that tree, they only knew of God's perfect will for them.  That will included the request; NOT to eat from that tree. 

God provided a way to restore harmony with him, something that humanity has asked for, been seeking and knocking for throughout the Old Testament.  Along the way, as free will and human nature are, man sinned...over and over and over.

Jesus now provides us with access to God the Father, the Incomparable, Eternal, Powerful, Almighty, Unchanging, Compassionate, Rock, and Everlasting one.  It is up to us to ASK...Ask, Seek, and Knock to let Him know our needs, wants, and thoughts.

We can do that through prayer.  

How do you pray?

How do you set aside time for prayer?

Just Pray.

In Christ,

David P

Miracles

Matthew 11:20 states:

Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 

I haven't mentioned much about Jesus'  miracles and don't anticipate doing so in the future. My point today will be based on what Jesus intended for his miracles to accomplish.

The Bible is full of miraculous signs, going all the way back to Moses and his first appearance before Pharaoh, when his staff turned into a snake in Exodus 7:10-12. That passage makes clear that the purpose of Moses' abilities to perform miracles was in order "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers...has appeared to you" (Exodus 4:1-5). Jesus' goals were exactly the same--granted, he showed great compassion in healing these people, even those whom he inadvertently healed when they touched his garment (Mark 5:25-34), but he had a specific purpose in mind, actually a two-fold one:

1. To prove his divinity

2. To cause the people to repent and change their ways

If we were to transplant a person from Jesus' time into the modern world, he would consider our entire life a miracle. Our modes of transportation, abundance of food, access to virtually all the world's knowledge at our fingertips, mastery over disease and so much more would have that 1st Century person asking us why we complained about anything. When people claim that the miracles of Jesus no longer occur, are they saying that the lame no longer can be made to walk? Modern medical advances make that possible. Leprosy has been conquered, and even death, in terms of life expectancies growing by almost 30 years over the past century, has been cheated. 

Given these miracles,  have we acknowledged God's power and granting of these magnificent gifts and repented?

My last point is simple--Jesus used his miracles the same way Moses did, to get people's attention and get them to believe. We have 2,000 years of commentary, reflection and indwelling of the Holy Spirit to prove Jesus' divinity--what more would modern-day miracles accomplish that we don't  already possess?

Scott

Woe to you (Oct 18)

Woe to you Korazin!  Woe to you Bethsaida!  If the miracles that were performed in you were performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
                                         Matthew 11:21 NIV

We need to keep our eyes open to the Spirit's guidance and action in our lives, and pray for the Spirit to guide our response and faith.  How often do we, when something good happens attribute the good event to luck, our skill, chance or something other than a gift from God above?  In Korazin and Bethsaida, miracles were performed and in response to those miracles, there was no change or action in the community.

Woe to us when we do not see God's action in our life.  Sometimes, that action is a correction.  Do we let the Spirit guide our response to that correction allowing for fruit of the Spirit to abound, or do we become self centered, negative, grumbling and perhaps angry?  Do we see an opportunity for growth and becoming more Christlike?

Look to God's word for guidance in daily life; at home, work, play, church, and at other events.

The synagogue in Korazin departed from God's word and direction for worship, for the synagogue had pagan images adorning the worship space.  Idols!  Like Korazin, woe to us when we depart from God's word.  That departure is also called sin.  We can give praise that Jesus died for our sins, to make us righteous and restore us before God.

What is your guide, your compass through life?

How do you shepherd other fellow believers when there is a challenge, a division, a loss?  (Look at Matthew 18:15 for a guide).

Pray for unity in Christ in your church.

In Christ,

David P

Service (Oct 17)

Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and servant of all."
                                 Mark 9:35 NIV

Jesus knew clearly and perfectly the hearts of his 12 disciples. This point is well illustrated by Jesus' sage comment in the absence of an answer to his question to the disciples about the argument on the walk to Capernum.  The question of who is the greatest is certainly a question that pride has a role in.  Pride is divisive, Jesus sensed the division on that walk.

A servant is one in a subordinate position, one who serves others; to wait on, to minister, or to help.  We are learning that a servant is a world changer, one who looks out for another.  Jesus gave His perfect example of service to God, His Father, by going to the cross and dying for our sins. 

We should look to His example of service and with the Spirit's guidance, respond in love to bring Him glory.  A moment by moment response to what God has done can be a guide for us as we live our life.  Something needs to be done by us.  A mere decision to do something is a very poor response, some action is needed.  I recollect my mother saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intent."

A server provides an action, a service.  Service, like love, is a verb.  Service builds relationships, it fills needs.

Remember as Pastor Vokt preached yesterday by stating that many of our needs are because we feel alone or unloved.  Again, service builds relationships, fills needs and shows love.

Every day, try to serve.  Next Sunday, participate in a community service event.  Look to your home church, ask a pastor or leader how to best serve.  Pray for the Spirit's guidance as you serve.  There will be blessings for those you serve.  In addition, there will be personal growth and special blessings for you as you serve.  Jesus knows clearly and perfectly your heart.

How do you serve others?

Pray that the Spirit clears time and removes obstacles for you so that you can freely serve.

In Christ,

David P
 

Miraculous Signs

Mark 8:11 states:

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 

I'll go out on a limb and suggest that each and every one of us has asked for a "sign from God" at some point in our life, and when you really stop  to think about it, what indeed are we doing when we make that request--are we not "testing" God? Has there been some deficiency in our life to suggest that God isn't present? What the heck are we missing?

I don't believe I've commented on this before, but if I have, forgive me--by the time this  year is over, I'll have written 150,000 words, so I'm bound to repeat myself from time to time, but there are body processes known as autonomic responses that our bodies do "automatically" (I use that word loosely). In other words, we don't think about these processes, and I want you to consider what it would mean if we did have to think and actively make these processes occur:

1. Respiration--at rest, we inhale and exhale about 20-30 times a minute, and obviously more with exertion. 

2. Heart rate--our heart beats about once a second when at rest, higher under exertion.

3. Eye blinking--I could be wrong here, but I'll go with about 20-30 times a minute--I won't be far off

4. Swallowing--Dr. Pratt could better answer this one, because I'm not really sure that swallowing is an autonomic response, since there are occasions when we consciously swallow, but we also do swallow unconsciously all the time.

I'll leave it at that and not mention processes like digestion, circulation or other processes that happen in our bodies. These processes are so innate that they occur if we're in a coma (although some aid may be needed depending on the depth of the coma). Given all this, I want you to think about one thing:

What if you had to consciously think AND INITIATE each and every one of these physical responses? What if for every breath, you had to say to yourself "Breathe," and the same for every heartbeat, every eye blink? What if for every step you took, you had to tell yourself "Hip, sway the upper leg, which will make the patella pivot and swing the lower leg, at which point the ankle needs to prepare the foot for the proper angle to land"?

And we want SIGNS from God?!?! Aren't they right in front of us during every second of our lives? Let me put some numbers to the processes I outlined, given an 80-year life span:

You will inhale approximately 1,300,000,000 times in your lifetime

You will exhale approximately 1,300,000,000 times in your lifetime

Your heart will beat approximately 1,300,000,000 times in your lifetime

And we won't have to think about any of these almost 4 billion responses, because God designed our bodies in such a manner as to do it for us. I won't speak for you, but that's all the miraculous sign I'll need.

Scott

Responsibility

Mark 7:21-23 states:

²¹ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²² greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³ All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”

David commented on this passage already today, so I'll do my best not to repeat what he wrote. I'll begin with two brief comments:
1. This teaching (Mark 7:14-23) is referred to as a "parable" in v17, yet my list of parables from from the NIV Study Bible does NOT include this--go figure.
2. I have absolutely no recall of having ever encountered this passage before, which I find interesting since it makes the points I'm about to make so well.
  
When we view the list of shortcomings in verses 21-22, there is absolutely nothing we can do on our own for absolution or exoneration. Ceremonially washing our hands or following any other aspect of Levitic law is meaningless compared to these, and to think otherwise is the ultimate in hypocrisy. The Pharisees, in their 200 years of existence, lived to congratulate themselves on how good they were through observance of trivial laws, and yet completely blind to the hollowness of their observance.

Although we can't do anything to obtain salvation, we can do MUCH to deserve temporal and eternal punishment. Let these verses remind you of two simple facts:
1. God isn't impressed with what we know, but instead with what we DO
2. God isn't impressed with what we do if we don't do it with a servant's heart, intent on building up his kingdom. 
This is just another example of my repetitive message--the Pharisees were concerned with HOW things were done, and Jesus was teaching a different way, stating that WHAT was done (and with what intentions) was far more important. As we move through life, we would do well to keep that simple yet important distinction in mind.
Scott

Coming out (Oct 15)

Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him.  Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'
                                     Mark 7:15 NIV

Jesus, made the above statement when he was addressing a crowd after the Pharisees and teachers of the Law asked of Jesus why He and His disciples did not wash their hands before eating; for Jews did not eat before a ceremonial washing of the hands according to traditions of their elders.

Jesus response, about what is coming out of a man, taught us that He looks not at the outward appearance of the person and action, but rather at the thoughts and desires of the person's heart, the motives for that action.  Jesus knew with much more clarity, precision, and detail what was on the hearts of the Pharisees then the Pharisees did.  Jesus wanted a relationship with the Pharisees.  He wanted them to seek God's Kingdom first; however He knew that the Pharisees were trying to look reverent, with motives other than seeking the Kingdom first in their hearts.

In our reading today, Jesus' ministry is still limited to the "lost sheep of Israel."  With love, compassion, care, and concern Jesus explained what makes a man unclean.  It is not the food the man ate, but rather the thoughts, desires and emotions within a man's heart.  If one thinks for a moment or two, one can probably come up with several unclean items that could be on a man's heart that could easily move and inspire a man to evil action.

How can we weigh our actions to consider what is in that mysterious place,the heart? One possible way is to look for lasting Spiritual Fruit coming out or resulting from our actions.  How are you sharing the gospel of Jesus with others. 

How can a person illuminate the heart to determine motivations for action?

How have you shared the good news of Jesus with others?

Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel message.

In Christ,


David P